Lithuania briefly shut Vilnius Airport on Sunday after a possible drone was detected near the capital, prompting NATO to scramble a fighter jet from Šiauliai. The alert was lifted and flights resumed after about an hour, with authorities later concluding that the radar contact was in fact a flock of birds.
The aircraft came from Šiauliai in northern Lithuania, where the Italian Air Force is stationed for NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission. The incident triggered a yellow air alert in Vilnius and nearby districts, but the Vilnius Marathon continued without interruption.
The false alarm underlines how quickly Baltic air defences can be activated when a potential incursion is detected, even if the threat is later ruled out. It also reflected the sensitivity of Lithuania’s airspace monitoring amid recurring security concerns along NATO’s eastern flank.